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Good communication in psychiatry – a conceptual review

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 April 2020

S. Priebe ,
S. Dimic ,
C. Wildgrube ,
J. Jankovic ,
A. Cushing  and
R. McCabe
S. Priebe*
Affiliation:
Queen Mary University of London, Newham Centre for Mental Health, Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Unit for Social and Community Psychiatry, LondonE13 8SP, United Kingdom
S. Dimic
Affiliation:
East London NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom
C. Wildgrube
Affiliation:
North Essex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom
J. Jankovic
Affiliation:
Queen Mary University of London, Newham Centre for Mental Health, Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Unit for Social and Community Psychiatry, LondonE13 8SP, United Kingdom
A. Cushing
Affiliation:
Queen Mary University of London, Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry, London, United Kingdom
R. McCabe
Affiliation:
Queen Mary University of London, Newham Centre for Mental Health, Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Unit for Social and Community Psychiatry, LondonE13 8SP, United Kingdom
*
⁎Corresponding author. E-mail address: S.Priebe@qmul.ac.uk (S. Priebe).
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Abstract

Background

The communication between clinician and patient is the basis of psychiatric treatment. However, there has been little practical attention to training in it, and no specific theory of what constitutes good communication in psychiatry has been developed. This review aims to identify principles that guide good communication.

Methods

A conceptual review of guiding principles for how clinicians should communicate with patients to achieve clinical objectives in psychiatry.

Results

Five guiding principles for clinicians were identified: a focus on the patient's concerns; positive regard and personal respect; appropriate involvement of patients in decision making; genuineness with a personal touch; and the use of a psychological treatment model.

Conclusions

The principles are mostly generic, but their implementation can be particularly challenging in psychiatry. They may guide further empirical research on effective communication in psychiatry and be utilised using different personal skills of clinicians.

Keywords

Good communicationGuiding principles for good communicationCommunication in psychiatry
Type
Review
Information
European Psychiatry , Volume 26 , Issue 7 , October 2011 , pp. 403 - 407
Copyright
Copyright © European Psychiatric Association 2010

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Footnotes

1

All authors were part of the research team that conducted the review and contributed to the discussion at all stages of the process. All contributed to and approved the final manuscript.

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